'Hugging has replaced air kissing' – Inside America's new wave art galleries

A new wave of design galleries across the United States is redefining the traditional gallery model by prioritizing community, craft, and hospitality over sterile white-cube spaces. Galleries like Tiwa Gallery in Tribeca, Marta in Los Feliz, Blunk Space in Point Reyes Station, and Landdd in Portland are hosting opening-night dinners, sound baths, flower arranging, and workshops to create intimate, home-like environments. Curator Sonya Tamaddon, an alumna of LACMA and the Peggy Guggenheim Collection, notes a shift away from formal hierarchies toward richer dialogue between designers, artists, and collectors, with hugging replacing air kissing.

risd design aesthetics recession

A writer revisits the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) alumni magazine after being assigned to explore how a group of RISD graduates from the late 2000s helped shape contemporary American material culture. The article focuses on the cohort that studied at RISD during the 2008 financial crisis, a time of institutional dysfunction and curricular drift, and includes figures like fashion brand Eckhaus Latta (co-founded by Mike Eckhaus and Zoe Latta), designer Adam Charlap Hyman, artists Katie Stout, Misha Kahn, F Taylor Colantonio, and Martine Gutierrez. The author reflects on shared memories and the unique conditions that produced this influential group.

The Only Guide to This Year’s Venice Biennale You Will Ever Need

The 61st Venice Biennale opens amid significant turmoil. The entire jury of the International Art Exhibition resigned after a statement about withholding prizes from countries with leaders charged with crimes against humanity by the ICC, leading to the cancellation of the Golden Lion awards in favor of 'Visitors' Lions' to be given at the exhibition's end. The event has been further marred by the sudden death of artistic director Koyo Kouoh from liver cancer in early 2025, and the death of artist Henrike Naumann, who was set to debut work in the German pavilion. Additionally, the selection process for the American pavilion artist, Mexico-based sculptor Alma Allen, sparked controversy after a delayed grant application process.

From YBAs to McQueen: Tate Britain’s New Exhibition Reframes the Creative Explosion of the 1990s

Tate Britain has announced a major new exhibition, *The 90s: Art and Fashion*, opening in autumn 2026, which will be the first to examine the intersection of contemporary art, photography, and fashion during the 1990s in Britain. Featuring over 100 works by nearly 70 artists, photographers, and designers—including Sarah Lucas, Alexander McQueen, Tracey Emin, and Steve McQueen—the show explores the decade's raw experimentation, anti-establishment energy, and the rise of the Young British Artists. Curated with input from Edward Enninful, the exhibition also highlights subcultures, nightlife, and the work of figures who challenged dominant narratives around race, identity, and class.

“I’m just a painter.” An interview with Jim Moir

Comedian Jim Moir, best known as Vic Reeves, has opened a solo exhibition titled 'Neo Fauna' at Cartwright Hall in Bradford. The show features his eclectic paintings and drawings, including watercolours of birds and the 'American Couples' series, where he paints over found family portraits. Moir insists his comedy career was an extension of his art practice, stating he is fundamentally 'just a painter.'

Dialogues & Conversations

The Pulitzer Arts Foundation in St. Louis is marking its 25th anniversary with the exhibition 'Dialogues & Conversations,' organized by its founder and chair, Emily Rauh Pulitzer. The show features over 85 works by more than 30 artists, including Edgar Degas, Willem de Kooning, and David Hammons, drawn from Pulitzer's personal collection, institutional loans, and works featured in past Pulitzer exhibitions.

American Art Lovers: A Nation of Artists Opens

The Philadelphia Museum of Art and the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts have launched a major collaborative exhibition titled 'A Nation of Artists.' Spanning both institutions, the show features over 1,000 works from 1700 to the present, drawing heavily from the private Middleton Family Collection. It coincides with the reopening of the PMA's newly renovated American art galleries and PAFA's restored Frank Furness-designed Historic Landmark Building.

Marcel Duchamp - Hommage à Caissa (for the Marcel Duchamp Fund of the American Chess Foundation), 1966

Marcel Duchamp - Hommage a Caissa (for the Marcel Duchamp Fund of the American Chess Foundation) , 1966

This rare 1966 silkscreen poster commemorates the "Hommage à Caissa" exhibition at New York’s Cordier & Ekstrom Gallery, a fundraiser organized by Marcel Duchamp for the American Chess Foundation. The event featured contributions from 36 iconic artists, including Salvador Dalí, Jasper Johns, and Alexander Calder, and is famously remembered for Andy Warhol’s uninvited "guerrilla attack" appearance with the Velvet Underground. The poster's design incorporates RSVP cards sent to participating artists, some featuring personal notes and autographs.

It’s LACMA’s World, and Hollywood Wants to Play in It

The Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) celebrated the opening of its new David Geffen Galleries with a star-studded gala that raised nearly $11.5 million. The event brought together architect Peter Zumthor, museum director Michael Govan, and a high-profile mix of Hollywood celebrities, artists, and major donors. The $720 million building, Zumthor's first major project in the United States, marks the culmination of a decades-long development process and is set to open to the public next week.

These Are the 7 Best Destinations for Pop Culture Exhibits

Chicago's diverse landscape of pop culture and contemporary art is highlighted through a curated list of seven key destinations in the metropolitan area. The selection ranges from the Volo Museum’s collection of Hollywood vehicles and Titanic artifacts to the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago’s extensive permanent collection of over 2,000 modern works and high-tech media displays.

Inside A Nation of Artists, Philly’s New Must-See Exhibition

The Philadelphia Museum of Art (PMA) and the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts (PAFA) have launched "A Nation of Artists," a massive dual-museum exhibition running through late 2027. The show features over 1,000 works, including the public debut of 120 pieces from the private Middleton Family Collection, owned by Philadelphia Phillies owner John Middleton. While the PMA presents the works chronologically from 1700 to 1960, PAFA offers a thematic exploration, both aiming to integrate underrepresented Black, Indigenous, and immigrant artists alongside canonical figures like Georgia O’Keeffe and Jackson Pollock.

Marcel Duchamp at MoMA: Five Revelations From the Artist’s First North American Survey in Over 50 Years

The Museum of Modern Art in New York has launched a major retrospective of Marcel Duchamp, marking the artist's first comprehensive North American survey in over half a century. The exhibition traces Duchamp’s evolution from his early satirical drawings and avant-garde paintings to his revolutionary experiments with movement and mechanization, featuring iconic works like "Nude Descending a Staircase" and "L.H.O.O.Q." alongside technical diagrams and studies for "The Large Glass."

peter zumthor's david geffen galleries open at LACMA as a sweeping glass-and-concrete arc

The Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) has officially opened the David Geffen Galleries, a massive glass-and-concrete structure designed by Pritzker Prize-winning architect Peter Zumthor. Elevated nine meters above the ground and spanning Wilshire Boulevard, the 275-meter-long building replaces several older structures to house the museum’s permanent collection. The inaugural installation, developed by a team of 45 curators, abandons traditional chronological displays in favor of a geographic framework organized around four major bodies of water: the Pacific, Indian, and Atlantic Oceans and the Mediterranean Sea.

Glenstone Is Celebrating 20 Years Of Art, Architecture, & Nature

Glenstone Museum in Potomac, Maryland, is celebrating its 20th anniversary as one of the largest private contemporary art museums in the United States. Founded in 2006, the institution offers a unique, immersive experience across 230 acres, combining world-class art, minimalist architecture, and expansive nature trails. The museum currently features major works by iconic artists such as Jackson Pollock, Ruth Asawa, and Kerry James Marshall within its two primary structures, The Gallery and The Pavilions.

Warhol / Basquiat: Paintings' Exhibition Poster (30th Anniversary Edition) , 2015

A limited edition 30th-anniversary exhibition poster for the historic Warhol/Basquiat collaboration is currently being offered for sale. The work, an offset lithographic poster published by the Tony Shafrazi Gallery in 2015, commemorates the iconic 1985 exhibition that brought together the king of Pop Art and the rising star of Neo-Expressionism. Signed by the publisher Tony Shafrazi, the piece is part of an edition of 300 and is being shipped from Hong Kong.

LACMA spent nearly $724 million on the David Geffen Galleries — here's how it was all used

The Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) has finalized the construction of the David Geffen Galleries, a $723.8-million project designed by Swiss architect Peter Zumthor. As the museum prepares for its April 16 gala, officials have released a detailed breakdown of the spending, which supported over 8,600 jobs and generated an estimated $1.2 billion in regional economic activity. Despite the massive investment, the project remains a lightning rod for controversy due to its unconventional modernist design and the fact that it offers less gallery space than the four buildings it replaced.

Sarasota Art Museum senior curator heading to Seattle

Rangsook Yoon, the senior curator at the Sarasota Art Museum (SAM), is departing her role to join the Frye Art Museum in Seattle as the senior director of curatorial affairs. Yoon will conclude her tenure at SAM on May 1, following the opening of the major loan exhibition "Something Borrowed, Something New," which features works by blue-chip artists like Louise Bourgeois and Ai Weiwei. Her move to Seattle follows a successful two-year period in Sarasota where she curated high-profile shows and participated in regional collaborations like Skyway 2024.

A brush with… Catherine Opie—podcast

The article is a transcript or description of a podcast episode featuring an interview with photographer Catherine Opie. She discusses her artistic journey, influences, and the themes central to her work, including identity, community, and representation within LGBTQ+ communities and American society. The podcast also promotes her upcoming 2026 exhibitions at the National Portrait Gallery in London and the Fridericianum in Kassel.

Portland Art Museum unveils major Hockney show

The Portland Art Museum has opened a major retrospective of David Hockney's work, featuring over 200 pieces spanning six decades. The exhibition, drawn from the collection of philanthropist Jordan Schnitzer, includes iconic works like the swimming pool series, iPad drawings, and photographic collages, and is designed with immersive, perspective-shifting gallery spaces.

The must-see lots from Contemporary New York

Christie's is promoting its upcoming Contemporary New York auction series, highlighting key lots from the sale. Specialists from the auction house provide commentary on featured works by artists including Josef Albers, Julie Mehretu, William Edmondson, Maria Pergay, Jeff Koons, and Cy Twombly, detailing their artistic significance and notable provenance.

David A. Ross resigns from New York's School of Visual Arts over friendship with Jeffrey Epstein

David A. Ross, chair of the Master of Fine Arts in art practice department at New York's School of Visual Arts (SVA), resigned from his position following the release of documents revealing his long-standing friendly correspondence with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The emails, dating from 2009 to 2016, show Ross praising Epstein's ideas for controversial exhibitions and offering him personal sympathy, even after Epstein's 2008 criminal conviction.

Fairfield University Art Museum Exhibition to Commemorate 250th Anniversary of the U.S., Opens Jan. 23

Fairfield University Art Museum will open a major loan exhibition titled "For Which It Stands…" on January 23, 2026, running through July 25, 2026, as part of the university's commemoration of the 250th anniversary of the United States. The exhibition features over 70 works by diverse artists from the early 20th century to the present day, all centered on depictions of the American flag, including pieces by Jasper Johns, Faith Ringgold, Robert Rauschenberg, Shepard Fairey, Julie Mehretu, Childe Hassam, and a new textile sculpture by Maria de Los Angeles commissioned for the show. Works are lent by private collectors, artists, galleries, and institutions such as the Delaware Art Museum, Yale University Art Gallery, and the Gordon Parks Foundation.

14 best art exhibitions to see in Tokyo in 2026

Tokyo's museums have announced their 2026 exhibition schedules, featuring a diverse lineup of international and domestic shows. Highlights include 'YBA & Beyond: British Art in the 90s from the Tate Collection' at the National Art Center, a major retrospective of Hajime Sorayama at the Creative Museum Tokyo, and a solo exhibition of Lithuanian artist M. K. Čiurlionis, alongside shows by Picasso, Ron Mueck, Hiroshi Sugimoto, and Minami Tada.

10 Oregon museum exhibits and events to add a little light to your winter

The Oregonian/OregonLive's winter arts guide highlights 10 museum exhibits and events across Oregon designed to bring light and joy during the dark season. Featured exhibitions include "Psychedelicatessen: A Powerful Dose of Art by Steve Marcus" at the Oregon Jewish Museum and Center for Holocaust Education, "Minidoka on Our Minds" at the Japanese American Museum of Oregon, "David Hockney: Works from the Collections of Jordan D. Schnitzer and His Family Foundation" at the Portland Art Museum, and "From Highway 101: Images of Oregon's Most Iconic Highway" at the Oregon Historical Society, among others.

The art world in 2025: our review of the biggest stories and shows—podcast

The final episode of The Week in Art podcast for 2025 reviews the year's biggest stories and exhibitions. Host Ben Luke is joined by The Art Newspaper's contemporary art correspondent Louisa Buck, art market editor Kabir Jhala, and Americas editor-in-chief Ben Sutton to discuss topics ranging from the Los Angeles wildfires in January and President Trump's cultural policies to the crisis at the Louvre, the National Gallery in London's expansion plans and their impact on its relationship with Tate, and the art market's shift toward the Middle East for fairs and auctions. The guests also select their top exhibitions and works of the year, featuring artists such as Kerry James Marshall, Helen Chadwick, Coco Fusco, Jack Whitten, Henri Matisse, and Hamad Butt.

Holiday Shopping at Sotheby's: All I Want for Christmas Is a Shot Marilyn

Sotheby's has opened its new global headquarters in the Breuer Building on Madison Avenue, New York, with an exhibition titled "Icons: Back to Madison" featuring 27 contemporary art masterpieces valued at over $2 billion. Highlights include Jean-Michel Basquiat's "Untitled" (1982), which sold for $110.5 million in 2017, and Andy Warhol's "Shot Orange Marilyn" (1964), reportedly sold privately for $200 million. The show offers a rare public viewing of works typically held in private collections, including pieces owned by billionaire collector Kenneth C. Griffin.

Harlem’s Studio Museum reopening was a fitting reflection of its history and work

The Studio Museum in Harlem reopened in November 2025 after a seven-year reconstruction, unveiling a new building designed by Adjaye Associates and Cooper Robertson that incorporates architectural elements of Harlem, such as masonry-framed windows and a staircase evoking brownstone stoops. The reopening featured a major exhibition highlighting alumni from its renowned artist-in-residence program, which began in 1968 with Tom Lloyd as the first recipient. Founded by Charles E. Innis and a coalition of artists, activists, and philanthropists, the museum has long served as a nexus for artists of African descent, expanding the canon of Black art during the civil rights and Black Power movements.

We Are the Drum and the Scribe: Black Art In America Collection at the Bo Bartlett Center

The Bo Bartlett Center in Columbus, Georgia, is hosting the exhibition "We Are the Drum and the Scribe: Black Art In America Collection" from January 20 to May 16. The show features over 40 works from the private collection of Najee & Seteria Dorsey and Black Art In America (BAIA), including pieces by Kerry James Marshall, Wadsworth Jarrell, David Driskell, and contemporary artists like Dr Fahamu Pecou and Alfred Conteh. A public reception is scheduled for February 19th.

Political statements at Art Basel Miami Beach are sparse but strident

At Art Basel Miami Beach, one year into Donald Trump’s second presidential administration, most galleries are avoiding overt political themes, though a few notable exceptions stand out. The most talked-about piece is Maurizio Cattelan’s marble sculpture *Bones (2025)*, a crashing eagle metaphor for the nation’s state, shown on Gagosian’s stand. Other politically charged works include Nicholas Galanin’s burned totem pole and drone-inspired rug, David Hammons’ *African American Flag (1990)*, and Tim Youd’s typewriter performance of Hunter S. Thompson’s book. Most exhibitors, however, focus on apolitical American iconography or market-driven choices.

Palazzo of Pop Art: new gallery in Italy will house major collection of 20th-century art

The Sonnabend Collection, a major trove of 20th-century art assembled by pioneering dealer Ileana Sonnabend, opens to the public on 29 November in Mantua, Italy. Housed in the renovated 13th-century Palazzo della Ragione, the new museum—Sonnabend Collection Mantova—will display nearly 100 works by artists such as Robert Rauschenberg, Jasper Johns, Andy Warhol, and Jeff Koons across 11 contemporary galleries. The venue also includes a temporary exhibition space, a bookshop, and an educational department, with the inaugural show featuring Warhol films.